MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 

OF  THE 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


A  REMINDER  TO  OUR  MISSIONARIES 
ABOUT  THE  METHOD  OF  MAKING  PAY¬ 
MENTS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


The  rules  of  the  Society  on  this  subject  do  not  seem  to  be  thoroughly 
understood;  or,  if  understood,  are  not  always  strictly  observed.  We, 
therefore,  call  particular  attention  to  the  plan  provided  in  the  Missionaries' 
Manual ,  and  shall  hereafter  require  that  the  law  of  the  Society  be  faith¬ 
fully  observed  by  every  missionary  asking  favors  under  it. 

CERTIFICATES  OF  DEPOSIT. 

“When  ariy  of  our  missionaries  in  foreign  lands  desire  to  make  pay¬ 
ments  in  the  United  States  for  the  support  of  their  families,  or  for  friends 
here,  the  money  may  be  paid  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Mission,  whereupon 
he  shall  issue  a  Certificate  of  Deposit  of  the  prescribed  form  to  the 
order  of  the  person  making  the  deposit,  which,  if  properly  indorsed, 
will  be  duly  honored  on  presentation  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Society  at 
New  York.” — Missionaries ’  Manual ,  p.  16. 

The  Board  has  added  another  rule  by  which  the  amount  for  which 
a  Certificate  of  Deposit  may  be  issued  is  limited  to  $200  or  less,  and 
still  another  declaring  that  no  Certificate  of  Deposit  shall  be  valid  until 
countersigned  by  one  of  the  Missionary  Secretaries. 

Please  observe  that  Certificates  of  Deposit: 

1.  May  be  issued  by  Treasurer  of  Mission  only  for  deposit 
actually  made,  not  in  anticipation  of  money  to  be  received  or  of 
salary  to  fall  due; 

2.  To  missionaries  only; 

3.  must  be  indorsed  by  persons  in  whose  favor  they  are  issued ; 

4.  Must  never  be  for  more  than  $200 ; 


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5.  Cannot  be  paid  by  Treasurer  in  New  York  until  countersigned 
by  Corresponding  Secretary. 

Treasurers  are  warned  to  observe  strictly  rules  one  and  four. 

If  Certificates  of  Deposit  were  issued  except  for  money  deposited  they 
would  be  in  effect  drafts  on  the  Society,  and  the  Missionaries'  Manual , 
page  19,  says:  “No  missionary  or  other  person,  other  than  the  Corre¬ 
sponding  Secretaries,  is  allowed  to  make  drafts  on  the  Treasurer  for 
Foreign  Missions,  except  on  letters  of  credit  duly  issued.” 


PAYMENTS  FOR  GOODS  PURCHASED. 

The  Manual  provides,  page  17: 

“In  case  any  of  our  missionaries  desire  to  make  purchases  in  the 
United  States,  a  bill  for  the  same,  accompanied  by  an  order 
from  the  missionary  for  its  payment,  may  be  presented  to  the 
Corresponding  Secretaries  for  audit,  and  upon  their  certificate  may  be 
paid  by  the  Treasurer  of  the  Society,  and  the  same  reported  as  so  much 
cash  remitted  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Mission,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to 
deduct  the  amount  from  the  next  payment  to  the  missionary.  The  bill 
and  order  attached  shall  be  the  proper  voucher  in  such  cases  of 
the  Treasurer  of  the  Society.  If  a  duplicate  order  is  necessary,  the  mis¬ 
sionary  must  supply  it;  and,  if  a  duplicate  bill  is  desired,  the  missionary 
must  require  it  of  the  dealer.  The  order  should  never  be  part 
of  a  letter,  nor  on  the  same  sheet.” 

Please  observe: 

1.  That  a  bill  of  goods  must  be  presented  to  the  Secretaries,  with 
an  authorization  from  the  missionary  for  its  payment. 

2.  That  the  authorization  must  be  distinct  and  separate  from 
the  letter  to  the  dealer,  and  be  addressed  to  the  Corresponding  Secretaries. 

3.  That  so  far  as  possible  the  printed  form  provided  by  the 
Mission  Treasurer  should  be  used. 

4.  That  where  the  printed  form  is  not  obtainable  the  authorization 

may  be  written,  as  follows : 

[ Place  and  date.] 

Corresponding  Secretaries, 

Missionary  Society,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 

150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 

Dear  Brothers: 

Please  certify  for  payment  by  the  Treasurer  the  accompanying  bill 
(to  be  furnished  in  duplicate,  or  triplicate ,  as  the  case  may  be)  of  [name 


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of  dealer],  for  [goods  ordered],  amounting  to  [indicate  whether  amount  given 
is  exact  or  only  approximated ]  dollars  ($  [amount  in  figures]),  and  charge 
the  amount  to  the  appropriation  for  [name  of  Mission]  Mission,  to  be 
deducted  by  the  Treasurer  of  the  Mission  from  any  future  payment  on 
my  account. 

[Signature], 

[Name  of  Mission]  Mission. 

5.  That^he  dealer  of  whom  goods  are  ordered  should  be  specif¬ 
ically  instructed  as  to  the  method  of  securing  payment  and  should 
be  asked  to  furnish  two  copies  of  the  invoice  (one  for  the  Society’s 
voucher  and  one  for  the  use  of  the  missionary  in  checking  off  the  goods 
and  in  adjusting  his  account  with  the  Treasurer  of  the  Mission)  unless, 
for  any  reason,  a  copy  is  not  needed  by  the  missionary. 

6.  That,  if  the  goods  are  to  he  paid  for  hy  the  Society 
and  also  to  he  sent  to  us  for  shipment,  the  dealer  should  be 
instructed  to  furnish  us  with  three  copies  of  the  invoice,  the 
third  copy  being  needed  for  the  use  of  the  Custom  House  Officers. 

7.  That,  to  make  the  matter  of  number  of  invoices  clear,  we  repeat 
(1)  If  the  goods  are  to  be  sent  to  us  for  shipment  only,  but  not  to 
be  paid  for  by  the  Society,  it  is  only  necessary  to  send  one  invoice  to 
us;  (2)  if  the  goods  are  to  be  paid  for  by  the  Society,  hut  not  to 
he  shipped  by  us,  then  two  invoices  are  needed,  one  for  our 
voucher  and  one  for  the  missionary;  (3)  if  the  goods  are  to  be  paid 
for  by  the  Society  and  also  to  be  shipped  by  us,  three  copies  of 
the  invoice  must  be  furnished.  If  you  neglect  to  ask  the  dealer  for  the 
proper  number  of  invoices,  do  not  complain  if  you  do  not  get  one,  nor 
expect  us  to  get  it  for  you. 

MISSION  ROOMS, 

150  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 

August  1,  1902. 


:  .  ™  V  'i  1  ■  ;s 

• -  o  r  ><  .  j. 


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